This invention relates to light fixtures in general, and in particular to a so-called down light fixture installable in a ceiling from below and formed mostly from pieces that are snapped together.
Recessed lighting fixtures can be fairly complicated in both their manufacture and installation. A single lighting fixture is usually formed from several parts that are fixed or semi-permanently connected and presented to a consumer as an installable unit. The consumer usually doesn""t care how the unit is manufactured, as long as it can be located in a ceiling and attached to a power source.
In most situations, the consumer purchases a specific lighting fixture to match a specific environment or decor. A change in decor usually necessitates the purchase of a new lighting fixture. In addition, the selection of lighting fixtures, particularly when adding to an existing ceiling, is usually limited by the type or adequacy of ceiling support. Certain lighting fixtures require a permanent attachment to a structural support beam of some kind already situated within the ceiling. Furthermore, the ability to vary the appearance of the lighting fixture once installed is usually very difficult, requiring the disassembly or complete removal of the fixture from the ceiling. Thus, there are a variety of limitations a consumer must consider when purchasing a lighting fixture currently on the market.
From a manufacturing perspective, complicated assemblies usually translate into increased costs to the consumer as a result of elaborate machinery and/or increased labor costs. Problems with permanent or semi-permanent connections are difficult to rectify, and lighting fixtures that employ such connections become vulnerable if one integral component breaks down or fails. In addition, lighting fixtures that are installable in a variety of environments must be equipped with the means to achieve such installation, which usually requires an assortment of fasteners and mounting assemblies. Thus, lighting fixtures that require permanent or semi-permanent connections, that are not easily varied in their appearance, and that must be adapted for installation in a variety of environments provide the consumer with a product that is unnecessarily expensive, complicated in construction and is aesthetically and functionally limited.
There is a need, therefore, for a light fixture that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and operate and variable in its presentation.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a light fixture that is easy to manufacture and simple to assemble.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light fixture that is variable in presentation depending on the environment in which the fixture is installed.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a light fixture that is assembled from parts using substantially non-permanent connections.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a light fixture that has a decorative trim piece that is easily and removably attached to the light fixture once situated in the ceiling.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light fixture that is installable in a variety of ceiling environments and not necessarily limited by the adequacy of existent ceiling support.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear upon review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings.
A down light fixture is formed from a plurality of parts that are substantially snap engageable, thereby simplifying assembly and requiring few or no tools. The fixture is installable from below through a ceiling orifice and supportable by the ceiling alone, without requiring permanent attachment to an existent support beam. The primary components of the light fixture include a can adapted to receive a lighting unit, such can being installable through a ceiling orifice from its exposed side, and a decorative trim member that is removably and securely engageable with the can. The can is retained in the ceiling by retaining members and is further provided with a flange on its free end. The flange is positioned adjacent the exposed surface of the ceiling about the insertion orifice after the can is inserted into the ceiling through such orifice. The decorative trim member is rotatingly, removably and securely engageable with the flange to provide an exterior trim to the fixture. Such decorative trim member is removable and replaceable with other trim members to vary the appearance of the light fixture without removal thereof from the ceiling.